Community council calls out for lack of democracy after application Househill battery energy storage approved
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ANGRY community councillors have hit out after Highland Council approved a plan for a controversial battery energy storage facility south-east of Househill Courtyard in Nairn.
The development was approved at a planning committee last week.
However, Nairn River Community Council (NRCC) has raised concerns over what it branded a “lack of democracy in Nairn” saying that residents – particularly the elderly – are being excluded and disadvantaged in the decision-making process.
The application was submitted by Whirlwind Energy Storage Limited and will consist of up to 50 battery storage units as well as operational infrastructure and fencing and landscaping.
It was approved after the only objection registered (and not withdrawn) was from NRCC.
Related: Househill Courtyard battery energy storage facility application set to face objections
Nairn councillor and south planning committee vice-chairman, Paul Oldam said: “Battery storage units are now being constructed across Scotland and I welcome this.
“It’s criminal that we are currently having to ‘feather’ wind turbines went they’re producing more electricity than can be exported to England. These storage units allow us to get the maximum possible electricity from wind which helps reduce our country’s CO2 emissions.
“Nairn River Community Council now say that local residents objected to this application. It’s regrettable, if that was the case, that NRCC didn’t advise residents to subject their objections to Highland Council as no objections were received other than from NRCC and indeed I commented on that at the planning meeting as it was one of the reasons I felt happy to go along with approving the application given that officers had addressed NRCC’s specific concerns.”
NRCC chairman, Hamish Bain, said: “Cllr Oldham says he doesn’t know that there are any comments from residents, and he’s probably quite right because they wouldn’t have raised objections in the actual tool the council uses – they raised those concerns when we were talking to them and that’s where my comments were based at.
“They wouldn’t have raised an objection against that purely because most of the residents are elderly and most of them would not use the computer to log in on the council’s portal and raise an objection. That’s the only way you can do it now and if you don’t have the facilities to do that, there is no other way.
“The community can go to community council meetings, go online to raise an objection or email the ward manager but they can’t talk directly with the councillors in an official forum.
“That’s deplorable. There’s no democracy in Nairn because things are being done behind closed doors.
“There is nothing we can do about it now that it has been granted. Of course if that had been refused, the developer can then appeal that decision. But that is not an option for individuals or members of the the public.
Plans to build two more power storage units in Nairn are also going forward, with one application having received planning permission and another one in the process.
Mr Bain added: “We are not against power storage, there are plenty alternative sites with potential in the vicinity.
“It was the council that raised concerns about the site being too close to housing but now they have gone that root there’s not much we can do about it at all.”
In their original objection, NRCC stated that the development is too close to housing, with concerns over the loss of agricultural land as well as risks to health fro exposure to leaking fumes from the containers.
An objection was initially raised by Environmental Health and the Flood Risk Management Team, however these were withdrawn on condition that the developer would secure measures to limit noise impacts to properties in the area and appropriate drainage arrangements.
